Genesis 32:22-31 You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.

Psalm 121 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable....

Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.

Confession:

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P: In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P: Let us make confession to the God who watches over our going out and coming in. (pause)

Lord of our help,

C: by our own nature we insist on fairness,

for ourselves,

without persisting for justice.

We look up to you, our maker, for our help

but we don’t seek you as Lord in our service.

We don’t wrestle with you when we face difficult decisions,

instead we teach ourselves with lessons of this world.

Forgive us Lord for the sins we know in our heart.

Save us Lord from the sins we hide. (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P: Watchful God...

C: have mercy on us. Amen

P: Our Lord who watches us neither slumbers nor sleeps. So by the faith in Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead we are able to obtain salvation. It is for Christ’s sake that our sins are forgiven. And whether the time is favorable or unfavorable, by the blessing of the Holy Spirit we are able to persist in the ministry, so that when Christ comes he will find faith on earth. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen -wjw

P: The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

-or-

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P: In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P: We are people of faith, let's be honest with God...

(pause for self-examination)

P: Lord of all...

C: we wrestle with you, attempting to prevail.

We think if we can win an argument in our head,

we may behave as we please,

and our every wish will be your command.

When we pray we are not afraid to ask,

but we do not listen,

and we are inconsistent in our persistence.

Our petitions to you are full of desires,

and we seek your blessing

as an endorsement of our schemes, opinions and ethics.

Lord, forgive the sin we bring into the open,

Lord, save us from the sin we hide away. (Pause for reflection)

P: Our God is good and just. So we who are not, would be in a lot of trouble if it were not for God's mercy and love. Through faith we may come to know our salvation. In Christ's faith it is offered to us. For Christ's sake our sins are forgiven. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit we may rekindle our persistence in faith. To the glory of the Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit.